Benny Hill

In the past week, the term “Dirty Old Man” had cropped up several times. Last Saturday, during my dad’s belated birthday dinner, my brother and I was checking out the waitresses at Hog’s Breath Cafe and also the patrons. I’d be nudging him and signaling him with my eyebrows, winking and the moving of my mouth, saying, “There, there.”

Dad joined in. And promptly got scolded by mom.

They are young, they got an excuse. You are just making yourself look like a dirty old man.

To which, my brother defended my dad saying that “all guys look“. I concur. Ever since then though it got me thinking about myself. I’m 32 years old now and I like going to the clubs to look at pretty girls, among other things. I could easily be called a “Dirty Old Man” too.

During lunch with a few colleagues who are all 25 or below, one of them asked how come I still like clubbing. I said that I’m sure I’d grow out of it eventually but for now, as long as there are pretty girls to look at, I’m there. I said that I might become a dirty old man before I stop going and they all laughed.

Sometimes I do feel awkward when I talk to girls in clubs. Many of them would be uni students and when talking to uni students, they would always ask, “So what do you study?”

I always reply, “I studied Engineering. I’m working now.” I don’t say how long it was since I’ve graduated but I answer honestly if asked. Typically the girls would be around 18-20. Now I say I feel awkward but I don’t feel dirty about it, not in a preying sense anyway.

But how do the girls view this? So I asked my female colleague who is 23. And she said it depends on how old a guy looks. If he looks old, then it’s not so good. She said that I’m lucky to have a young face and I don’t come across as sleazy.

She added that some young girls may be turned off by the age gap, but most would be ok if you treat them with respect. Failing that she said, go for girls who’s just freshly graduated or who are already working. Women in the work force view men differently.

I wonder what’s the tipping point though? The point when I would walk into a place and know that people are thinking, “What’s this old guy doing in here?” I know I do when I see obviously older looking men in the clubs. Or should I just enjoy myself without thinking about the age thing and be like Hugh Hefner? Now he’s a dirty old man in the truest sense. :mrgreen:

Hugh Hefner and his
Hugh Hefner and his “Girls Next Door“